Aakar Patel is an Indian journalist, activist and writer known for writing against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Narendra Modi through his columns.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Aakar Patel was born in 1970 (age 52 years; as of 2022) in Surat, Gujarat. He did his schooling from Sir JJ English School, Surat, Gujarat and Metas Adventist School, Surat. He did his graduation from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.
Physical Appearance
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
Akar’s father’s name is Anil.
Aakar Patel’s parents
Akar’s sister’s name is Ashlesha Khurana, who is a writer.
Aakar Patel’s sister
wife and children
Akar was married to Tushita Patel on 14 December 1998.
wedding photos of aakar patel
Aakar Patel with his wife
relationships/affairs
It was reported that when Aakar was pursuing his graduation, he was in a relationship with a Muslim girl and when he told his family about his girlfriend, his mother threatened that she would hang herself.
Religion
Akars follow Hindu religion. In an interview in 2015, he said that his family is Krishna-worshipping Vaishnavs.
journalism
After completing his studies in Baroda, he started his career in journalism when he joined Asian Age as a trainee sub-editor. Later, he moved to Mumbai to work as a journalist at Asian Age, Mumbai. After being a part of Asian Age for quite some time, he joined Deccan Chronicle and later, he worked at Dorling Kindersley. Later, he became the Deputy Editor of Deccan Chronicle and Editor-in-Chief of Mid Day Multimedia Limited. He was a co-author of the ‘Rights and Wrongs’ report on the 2002 Gujarat riots by the Editors Guild. In 2002, he returned to Surat and started working as the editor-in-chief of Divya Bhaskar, a Gujarati newspaper.
Amnesty International India
In 2015, he was appointed as the head of Amnesty International India. While he was working at Amnesty, he wrote newspaper columns against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Narendra Modi. Talking about the size in an interview, the organization said,
We are delighted to have Aakar Patel join us. Amnesty International India is one of three national offices of the movement, established to expand its influence in countries with a growing global influence that continue to face human rights challenges. Shakar’s commitment to human rights in his journalism and writing makes him ideally suited to take on this important role.”
After reading his columns, many BJP followers called him anti-national. During his service at Amnesty International India, the organization was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Enforcement Directorate. In 2016, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, alleged that Amnesty International India is anti-national, and also filed a case against Amnesty International India following which the organization was booked under Section 124-A. Many people started criticizing Aakar and tweeted that Aakar is a Muslim and his name is Aakar Ahmed Patel.
Controversy
In 2022, Askar came into controversy when Bengaluru airport authorities stopped him from boarding a flight to Boston, US. Reportedly, he was accused of violating FCRA provisions, due to which a CBI ‘Look Out Circular’ (LOC) was issued against him in a Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) violation case. He was headed to America to deliver a lecture, but was not allowed to leave the country. He had gone to the Gujarat court to seek permission to participate in his foreign assignments and lecture series organized by various universities in the US till May 30. The court granted him permission, but he alleged that even after being picked up, he was stopped at the airport. Permission from the court.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Akar likes to read translated texts from Greek and Rome.
- He is fond of writing and reading Urdu language. He was the first person to translate Saadat Hasan Manto’s book ‘Why I Write’ into Hindi in 2014.
Book translated by Aakar Patel
- In an interview, Aakar said that in 2017, when protests were going on against the death of journalist Gauri Lankesh, she participated in a protest where she learned about the meaning of the word dissent.
- In 2021, he wrote the book ‘Hamara Hindu Rashtra’ in which he compared India and Pakistan and also talked about the views of the media. He also wrote another book in the same year titled ‘Price of the Modi Years’ in which he talked about Modi’s re-election, Modi’s magnetism and Modi’s management.
Cover of the book ‘Our Hindu Rashtra’
- He is often seen drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking cigarettes.
Aakar Patel drinks and smokes
- He is a passionate animal lover and often posts their pictures on social media.
Aakar Patel with his pet dogs
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn